The Vegas Golden Knights will be back on the ice for the first time since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final when training camp begins Thursday morning.
Training camp will feature 66 players, including 36 forwards, 23 defensemen and seven goalies (see below for details). With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement taking effect, the preseason will consist of just four games instead of seven, and the regular season will move from 82 games to 84.
Vegas has had a shortened summer after falling two wins shy of winning the second Stanley Cup in franchise history. However, the Carolina Hurricanes were the last ones standing, leaving the Golden Knights hungry to bounce back.
Year 10 for the Golden Knights officially begins Sept. 29 in the home opener, but training camp marks the start of the grind.
One player who was committed to the grind was Ryan Reaves, who announced his retirement from the NHL Wednesday evening.
Reaves played parts of four seasons with the Golden Knights, finishing his Vegas tenure with 18 goals and 42 points along with three power-play goals, three game-winning goals, 158 penalty minutes and 837 hits in 209 regular-season games.
The fan favorite also chipped in two goals, seven points and 238 hits in 48 postseason games. One of those two goals was the series-clincher in Game 5 against Winnipeg in 2018, which sent Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural campaign. The Golden Knights went on to lose to the Washington Capitals in five games.
Reaves played for the Blues, Penguins, Golden Knights, Rangers, Wild, Maple Leafs and Sharks. He finishes his 16-year career with 66 goals and 140 points as well as 3,225 hits and 1,137 penalty minutes in 962 games.
But the Golden Knights will need to find new energy for their fourth line as they work to get back to the final stage and earn another crack at Lord Stanley’s prize.
Here’s an overview of offseason changes, key storylines and questions entering training camp as well as details regarding the training camp roster and schedule.
Training camp preview
Personnel changes
There have been some offseason changes, though most of last year’s roster is intact and ready to go under new bench boss Ryan Craig.
Most notably, however, the Golden Knights will be without sniper Pavel Dorofeyev, who was traded to the New York Rangers at the draft due to cap constraints. Dorofeyev and his scoring touch will be sorely missed, but it’s not the first time the Golden Knights have been forced to regroup.
Other departures include Keegan Kolesar (traded to Detroit) and Kaedan Korczak (traded to Pittsburgh) as well as Reilly Smith, Colton Sissons, Cole Smith, Brandon Saad and Ben Hutton (free agency) and goaltender Akira Schmid (traded to Florida).
Victor Olofsson (free agency) will return for his second stint with the Golden Knights and will be joined by forward Marc Gatcomb (free agency) and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (acquired from Pittsburgh). Wotherspoon’s $500,000 cap hit as a result of salary retention makes him one of the best values in the NHL.
But most of the Golden Knights’ biggest moves of the offseason involved handing out extensions to in-house players.
Jeremy Lauzon (six years, average annual value: $4 million) and Rasmus Andersson (seven years, AAV: $8.5 million) both inked long-term extensions, and the Golden Knights locked up Mark Stone for another two years (AAV: $9 million) and also showed confidence in Braeden Bowman by rewarding him with a six-year deal (AAV: $3.4 million).
Healthy competition
Forward-thinking
Most of the roster is set, though a handful of players will compete for a bottom-six role as well as for the chance to be a call-up during the season.
Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel, Stone, Brett Howden, William Karlsson, Mitch Marner, Tomas Hertl, Nic Dowd, Olofsson and Bowman are likely penciled in as 10 of the team’s forwards..
General manager Kelly McCrimmon indicated that Gatcomb, who signed with Vegas on July 1, will have a role on the fourth line with Dowd, making him No. 11.
“I think with the acquisition of Mark Gatcomb, with what we know Nic Dowd is, I think that’s probably two-thirds of what you want the identity of that line to look like,” McCrimmon said in July.
Gatcomb brings much-needed physicality, particularly with Kolesar headed to The Motor City. Gatcomb recorded 192 hits in 49 games last season with the Islanders, ranking 10th in the NHL in hits per 60 minutes (23.30).
That leaves the 12th and 13th forward slots potentially up for grabs.
Despite taking a vicious hit during the Rookie Showcase, Trevor Connolly will be a player to watch when he joins the Golden Knights at training camp. The former first-round pick has struggled with injuries but is Vegas’ most skilled prospect and will have a chance to compete.
He’s not a fourth-line player, but he could force Craig and his staff to consider him as a middle-six option. Connelly scored 14 goals and 49 points in 46 games with the Henderson Silver Knights last year.
It’s highly unlikely he’ll make the team out of camp, particularly given his skill set, but he should get a look in at least a few preseason tilts.
Other players who will be looking to impress are Kai Uchacz — who played well in a small three-game sample last year and finished third on the Silver Knights in scoring with 51 points — as well as Tanner Laczynski and Raphael Lavoie, both of whom have been reliable options for Vegas in the past. Laczynski led Henderson in points with 64 last year, while Lavoie scored a team-high 30 goals.
The ever-dependable Jonas Rondbjerg, who is now the lone remaining member of the Golden Knights’ inaugural draft class, is another player who will look to take the next step. The under-performing Alexander Holtz remains in the mix as well and could benefit from the coaching change.
On the (blue) line
On the back end, the Golden Knights are set with their seven defensemen in Shea Theodore, Brayden McNabb, Noah Hanifin, Andersson, Lauzon, Wotherspoon and Dylan Coghlan. At this point, it’s more of a matter of Craig finding the right combination for the pairings.
That’s especially true since Vegas only has two right-shot defensemen this year, which doesn’t include Theodore, who has played on his off-side for most of his time in Vegas.
It’s possible Craig will split up Hanifin and Andersson, who played together last year as well as when the two were in Calgary.
Coghlan is expected to be the seventh defenseman.
Tending net
Another more nuanced bit of competition — and what is sure to be a source of speculation and debate — will revolve around the starter’s crease, with both Carter Hart and Adin Hill looking for a fresh start.
The job is likely Hart’s to lose, as Hart carried the Golden Knights when he returned from injury at the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. The wheels came off in the Stanley Cup Final, but Hart demonstrated that he’s more than capable of being a high-caliber netminder once again despite missing extended time due to his involvement in the Hockey Canada scandal.
Hill is coming off a very rough season in which he went 10-9-6 in 27 starts, recording a 3.04 goals-against average and .871 save percentage. He needs to regain his previous form that saw him backstop the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup championship and return to being a productive contributor to the team’s success. Hill has five years remaining on a contract that carries a $6.25 million cap hit.
McCrimmon was confident in Vegas’ goalies, even if he didn’t like Vegas’ goaltending last season.
“My opinion is you need two good goalies,” he said in July. “If you set out on September 1 and you’re hoping to play in the Stanley Cup Final, you’re going to play 104 hockey games. You need two goaltenders to be able to get through that. … I think we have a great tandem.
“I think Adin is going to bounce back. I think he’s a good goalie that had a tough season. We need him to revert to form, and I expect that he will. Carter, for me, made a great impression, getting us right to the Stanley Cup Final. So I think we’re in good shape at that position.”
Another potentially-relevant storyline is the ongoing situation with Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg. The Jets suspended Hellebuyck Wednesday for not reporting to training camp in the midst of his request to be traded. You can never count Vegas out when it comes to big-name players, so there’s always a chance McCrimmon & Co. will swing for the fences in net.
Given the team’s lack of assets and cap space, however, the expectation is that Hart and Hill will compete and share crease duties this season. What kind of rotation Craig will implement remains to be seen, though it will be up to him and goalie coach Sean Burke.
Overall, Craig isn’t expected to make major changes to the systems that have worked for Vegas over the last few seasons. Bruce Cassidy’s foundation has led to two Cup appearances, though John Tortorella helped the team refocus ahead of last year’s deep postseason run. Craig will need to find his own happy medium.
Filling the void
One of the biggest question marks going into the 2026-27 season is how the Golden Knights will manage to replace Dorofeyev’s raw goal total.
The Russian winger led the Golden Knights in goals in each of the last two seasons, with 37 in 2025-26 and 35 the year before.
In truth, no one player can replace Dorofeyev. The Golden Knights knew what they were losing when they moved him, but their cap situation left them without many options. However, that production still needs to come from somewhere.
The easy (albeit flawed and overly simplistic) answer is Olofsson.
It’s not unreasonable, especially since that’s why Vegas is bringing him back.
Clearly, Olofsson is not Dorofeyev, though no one’s asking him to be.
What will be asked of Olofsson, however, is to take Dorofeyev’s spot on the right side of the top power-play unit, where the Swedish winger also had success with his one-timer during his first ride in Sin City. Of Olofsson’s 15 goals with Vegas in 2024-25, six of them came on the man-advantage. The Stone-to-Dorofeyev pass last season was lethal for much of the year, and Vegas will need to keep that lane open for Olofsson.
Hertl transformed the Golden Knights’ power play two seasons ago but had some consistency issues last year, including when he went 29 games without a goal late in the regular season. Hertl needs to be a much more consistent contributor to Vegas’ secondary scoring, especially at even strength.
Karlsson also will be tasked with securing the middle of the ice and producing more. Karlsson is coming off an injury-wrecked season that saw him miss 68 regular-season games as well as the first round of the playoffs before he broke his wrist in Game 5 against Carolina. He was a difference-maker in the postseason, but his injury history remains a question mark. Having him in the lineup is critical for the Golden Knights.
Howden exploded in the postseason with a team-high 14 goals and is one year removed from a career-best 23 goals in 2024-25. If he remains on the second line with Marner and Karlsson, he could be more of a factor in 2026-27.
Bowman is another name worth highlighting, as the Golden Knights have high expectations for the 23-year-old forward. Bowman signed a six-year extension with an AAV of $3.4 million last week and will look to prove himself in camp.
Bowman scored eight goals and 26 points in 54 games as a rookie last year, turning a November call-up into an extended role. McCrimmon said Bowman will be an “everyday player” for the Golden Knights this season, and the contract certainly reflects that. However, his production hit a wall after a phenomenal start last year, so he’ll need to be more consistent as a sophomore.
At the same time, the best players on the team will need to be the best players on the team.
Stone is coming off his most productive season, but persistent injuries keep him out of the lineup far too frequently. Eichel and Marner will need to be even better. Marner managed to get the Toronto/playoff monkey off his back with a very productive postseason, but the Golden Knights need both stars to play with more of a shoot-first mentality.
But when all is said and done, replacing those 37 goals is something the Golden Knights will need to do by committee.
Training camp roster
On Wednesday, the Golden Knights announced the training camp roster, which features the following 36 forwards, 23 defensemen and seven goaltenders:
Forwards
Dylan Allie, Ivan Barbashev, Braeden Bowman, Mathieu Cataford, Trevor Connelly, Jakub Demek, Nic Dowd, Jack Eichel, Joe Fleming, Marc Gatcomb, Jordan Gustafson, Jackson Hallum, Ben Hemmerling, Tomas Hertl, Alexander Holtz, Brett Howden, Jett Jones, William Karlsson, Tanner Laczynski, Raphael Lavoie, Mitch Marner, Riley McKay, Mitch McLain, Mateo Nobert, Victor Olofsson, Noel Pakarinen, Jonas Rondbjerg, Matyas Sapovaliv, Jonah Sivertson, Sloan Stanick, Shane Smith, Mark Stone, Trent Swick, Kai Uchacz, Tuomas Uronen, Alex Weiermair
Defensemen
Rasmus Andersson, Sean Burick, Dylan Coghlan, Lukas Cormier, Jeremy Davies, Adam Ginning, Noah Hanifin, Ville Heinola, Brandon Hickey, Lucas Johansen, Viliam Kmec, Jeremy Lauzon, Samuel Mayer, Will McLaughlin, Brayden McNabb, Jaycob Megna, Juho Piiparinen, Bronson Ride, Shea Theodore, Antti Tuomisto, Conor Walton, Vann Williamson, Parker Wotherspoon
Goaltenders
Carter Hart, Adin Hill, Carl Lindbom, Matthew Minchak, Pavel Moysevich, Alex Tracy, Cameron Whitehead
Training camp schedule
All practices at City National Arena will be free and open to the public.
Note: Vegas’ four preseason games will be broadcast through Scripps Sports, The Spot (Vegas 34) and KnightTime+ (with a free trial through the end of September, according to the Golden Knights).
Thursday, Sept. 17
Team Vegas practice: 9 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
Team Golden practice: 11:30 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
Team Knights practice: 2 p.m. PT (City National Arena)
Friday, Sept. 18
Team Golden practice: 9 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
Team Knights practice: 11:30 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
Team Vegas practice: 2 p.m. PT (City National Arena)
Saturday, Sept. 19 (GAME 1)
Morning skate: 9:15 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
GAME 1 — Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings: 6 p.m. PT (Toyota Arena)
Monday, Sept. 21
Group 1 practice: 10 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
Group 2 practice: 12 p.m. PT (City National Arena)
Tuesday, Sept. 22 (GAME 2)
Morning skate: 10 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
GAME 2 — Golden Knights at San Jose Sharks: 7 p.m. PT (SAP Center)
Wednesday, Sept. 23
TBD
Thursday, September 24 (GAME 3)
Morning skate: 11 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
GAME 3 — Golden Knights vs. Utah Mammoth: 7 p.m. PT (T-Mobile Arena)
Friday, September 25
Practice: 11:30 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
Saturday, September 26 (GAME 4)
Morning skate: 11 a.m. PT (City National Arena)
GAME 4 — Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks: 7 p.m. PT (T-Mobile Arena)
The Golden Knights will open the regular season Sept. 29 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Vegas went 2-0-1 against Chicago last season and is 17-3-4 in the all-time matchup.
Photos via Vegas Golden Knights